Chapter 418: Why Come Looking if It’s Not Urgent?

"No," Chang Qingze said, shaking his head.

Fu Mingxue: ...?

’If that’s not the reason, couldn’t he have just told Group Leader Chang directly since I wasn’t available?’

She decided not to dwell on it.

’After all, if it was truly important, he’d definitely come back.’

"Oh, right! I had an idea about adding another once-through combustion chamber..."

As soon as Fu Mingxue said this, Chang Qingze’s eyes lit up.

"Tell me more!"

"Alright, everyone, if you have a moment, gather ’round and listen."

The inspiration had struck her suddenly last night while she was fixing that engine.

’Sometimes, a flash of inspiration really is just what you need.’

At Fu Mingxue’s call, the others immediately dropped what they were doing and gathered around her.

There was a large table nearby covered in blueprints.

Next to it was a large blackboard with white paper tacked onto it.

This was for everyone’s convenience, so they could jot down ideas as they came up.

...

When Li Zhao arrived, he saw everyone from Group Six gathered around Fu Mingxue.

Fu Mingxue was busy sketching on a piece of paper. As for her voice—well, he couldn’t hear a thing through the soundproof glass.

Li Zhao watched from the outside.

After all, it was their core laboratory. Unauthorized personnel were not allowed inside.

He could only watch from the outside, through the glass.

Neither Fu Mingxue nor anyone in Group Six noticed him outside.

They were completely engrossed. Someone had already started calculating the proposal’s feasibility.

Xu Ming’s role was to run the numbers for them—

Li Zhao waited for a while, but seeing no signs of them finishing up, he turned and left, deciding to come back later.

Meanwhile, after Fu Mingxue presented her concept, Group Six launched into a fierce discussion.

「Four hours later.」

Following the group’s analysis, Fu Mingxue revised the blueprint.

She glanced at the clock and saw it was already five in the afternoon.

Only then did she remember her sister-in-law.

’She wondered if Qin Wenying was still waiting to go home with her, or if she’d already left.’

She hurried out of the Group Six workspace.

Seeing no one outside, she figured Qin Wenying had probably already gone back to the family quarters.

Besides, Qin Wenying had mentioned she needed to go to the hospital this afternoon.

’And anyway, Qin Wenying is a grown woman; it’s not like she’d get lost.’

With that thought, she relaxed.

As she reached her office door, she saw Li Zhao walking toward her.

’Seeing him, she couldn’t help but wonder just how urgent his business was. He’d been by to see her time and time again.’

’She had even seen him standing outside the lab’s glass window earlier.’

’But since he hadn’t knocked, she had ignored him.’

"Mr. Li, were you looking for me?"

Li Zhao nodded. "Yes. I didn’t see you this morning."

"I was busy with something. By the way, what did you need? Group Leader Chang said you’ve come looking for me several times. Is it about the materials from yesterday?"

"That’s right. I have a better material. I ran some tests this morning, and the data looks much better."

Hearing this, Fu Mingxue’s interest was instantly piqued. "Let’s go. We can talk in my office."

Li Zhao glanced at her and said, "It’s not that urgent. Aren’t you heading to the cafeteria? Why don’t we eat first?"

Fu Mingxue: ...?

’If you’re not in a hurry, why did you come looking for me?’

’Couldn’t you have just come back after dinner?’

’Acting as if he wasn’t the one who’d been by three times today.’

"—Alright, then. You go eat first. I need to go back to my office and organize a few things."

Li Zhao’s expression faltered.

"—Alright!"

Then he turned and left.

Fu Mingxue went back to her office.

She didn’t rush off to eat. Instead, she quickly sketched a simple diagram based on the results of the group’s discussion, then stored it in her space.

’After all, the space was the safest place for it.’

The drawing took another half an hour.

Fu Mingxue felt a real pang of hunger.

’No, I have to go eat.’

’If I wait any longer, will there be any food left in the cafeteria?’

Just then, a knock sounded at the door—